Spring clasps



Oct. 13, 1959 U, c, DUNAWAY 2,908,060

SPRING cLAsPs Filed Dec. 23, 1955 FIG.|.

I NVENTOR. ULRICH C. DUNAWAY BY 74. a: a4,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent SPRING CLASPS Ulrich C. Dunaway, Clayton,Mo. Application December 23, 1955, Serial No. 555,103

3 Claims. c1. 24-254 The present invention relates to fastening devicesgener-ally, and has particular reference to improvements in springclasps.

The device of my invention has particular application and usefulness asmeans for attaching signs or warning flags to electrical apparatusundergoing renovation or repairs to indicate zones of danger to beavoided by the workman. The clasp of my invention greatly facilitatesthe work of installing and removing the signs by enabling thoseoperations to be performed with the use of a long-handled tool, therebyeliminating much of the climbing otherwise necessary to post the dangerspots, and to reduce the hazard involved with those operations.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved fasteningdevice or clasp of the character and for the purpose described, which.will operate to conne'ct itself to an appropriate object by the simplemaneuver of bring the device into contact therewith, so thatmanipulation of thedevice to make a remote connection may be made withthe use of a long-handled tool.

Another object is to provide a clasp of this character which securelyaflixes itself to the element or part to which it is applied, yet whichis easy to remove, also with the use of a pole.

The invention resides in the construction and combination of the partsthat. make up my improved clasp and which render it a superior,effective and highly practical device. The foregoing and other objectsand advantages of; the clasp hereof will appear from the followingspecification, reference being made therein to the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing the clasp hereof in use forfastening a Warning device to part of an electrical installation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view showing the clasp mounted on anapplicator tool and with jaws of the clasp in open position;

Fig. 3 is a top or end view of the assembly illustrated in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 shows the clasp with the jaws in closed position.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, the clasp,indicated generally at 4, Fig. 1, comprises a pair of members designated5 and 6 formed in the present example of light weight metal such asaluminum. These members are pivotally connected together by a pin 7 andtheir inner margins are shaped to provide concavely arcuate jaw faces 8and 9 which are adapted to coact to embrace an appropriate object, suchas the electrical conductor shown. A spring 10' is connected to the jawmembers and acts thereon to force them together, or to closed position,as shown in Fig. 4. The jaws are initially held in open position (Fig.2) against the closing force of said spring by a detent 11 which has oneend pivoted by a pin 12 to jaw 6, and is arranged to have its oppositeend releasingly engage a keeper bar 13. An intermediate portion ofdetent l1 protrudes into the space environed by the open jaw faces 8 and9, where, like the trigger of a spring trap, it a Now describing thedevice in greater detail, the jaw member 5 is of bifurcatedconstruction, comprising flat, generally claw-shaped side portions 5aand 5b.which are spaced apart to provide an opening between them toreceive the other jaw member 6. Side portions 5a and 5b are joinedtogether at their back edges by a transverse web 14 which has a slot 15therein. This slot extends upwardly from an opening-at the lower edge ofthe web 14 and is adapted to receive a side projecting fin 16 formed onthe head of a long-handled applicator tool 17.

As best appears from Figs. 2 and 3, the applicator tool head is adaptedto interfit with the slotted portion of the member in a manner to afforda firm mounting for the clasp on the applicator tool which, after theclasp has been installed, may be downwardly disengaged therefrom. e

p The pivot pin 7 extends transversely between the side portions 5a and5b near the lower ends of the arcuate jaw faces 9 of those portions andpasses through the hub part 18 of jaw. member 6. Member 6 is providedwith an integral ring 19, extending downwardly from the hub part 18. Thering 19 affords a means for attaching the warning flag or sign 21 to thedevice as shown in Fig. 1, and is used for removing the device from theobject to which it is attached. Thus, the ring or eye portion 19 is ofsufficient size to enable 'it to be easily hooked by a projecting fingersuch as 22 on the end of the applicator tool 17. Removal of} the devicemay then be accomplished by pulling downwardly on the ring portion 19,causing jaw 5 to be forced open by the camming action thereon of thesupporting object. At its upper end jaiw member 6 curves backwardly inthe provision of a book 23 which serves in lieu of the described jawmeans for attaching the device to certain types of electrical apparatus,such as to a high tension 'dis-' connect switch. The blades of thoseswitches are customarily provided with ring portions-and such portionsafford a convenient means for receiving the hanger hook 23 of the flagholding device hereof.

The torsion spring 10 acts on the jaw members 5 and 6 to force themtoward closed position which is shown in Fig. 4, and the same springacts on the detent member 11 to move it toward its normal latchingposition, which is shown in Fig. 2. Spring 10 has paired arm portions10a and 10b extending at opposite sides of jaw member 6, and eachthereof includes a loop portion that encircles the pivot pin 7, land aforward end having a hooked extremity that bears against the transversekeeper bar 13. The opposite end portions of spring arms join thetransverse yoke 26 of the spring which yoke crosses the back edge ofmember 6, and bears against a rearwardly protruding. portion 27 ofdetent 11. Detent 11 is mounted in a slotted passage that extendstransversely through the central part of jaw member 6 and is definedbetween end surface indicated by dotted lines 28 and 29, Fig. 4. Thesaid detent, pivoted to jaw 6 by pin 12,

curves outwardly so as to protrude laterally into theopening formed bythe open jaw members (Fig. 2). The

Patented Oct. 1 3, 1 959 pended fromthe ri-ng lportion 19fis mounted onthe linemans stick '17in .the manner shown in -Fig. 2;" The jaw member 6is then cocked to open position, causing p The clasp assembly 4, with gnWarning fiag or, other object 21" (Fig. 1) 'sussaid jaw faces towardeach other, adetent pivotally mounted on one of themembers and adaptedrele' 'as ingly to engage the other member to hold said members in openjaw position against the acting of said spring, the same spring engagingsaid detent and acting to hold the sarne in latched relation with thesaid other member, said detent having a trigger portion between itspivot connection to one jaw portion anditslatch connection to a latchingof the 'detent 11 with the keeper bar. 13 and projecting thebowed.'"central portion of the detent into prominence at the baseof"the'throat,.'defined by the jaw 1 members and 6. withjthe use of thestick 1'7 the as- V sembly is manipulated to bring the detent intoforceful;

contact 'ewith the object selected to carry-the sign, displacing thedetentandallowingthe jaw members to embrace the said object. The stickisthen lowered to disengageits key portiontld fromthe keyslot formed invthe web 14 Removal 'of'theclasp -isaccomplish'ed by linking the sideprojecting part 22 of the tool 17 withthe ring 19 and drawing downwardlythereon. I aw 5 will pivot open and the smoothjaw' face 9 will allow.the jaw to slide free ofthe supporting object. 7 I

"Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a clasp device of the character described, a pair of membershaving curved, coacting jaw portions, pivot means interconnecting saidmembers, a detent keeper on one of said members, a detent pivoted to theother member' adapted releasingly to engage said keeper to hold said jawportions in open position, a spring encircling the pivot means andacting on said same members to force their jaw portions to'ward closedposition, said spring also engaging said detent and acting to hold saiddetent in latched relation with the detent keeper on the said onemember, said detent havingan intermediate trigger portion between itspivot connection to one jaw portion and its keeper connection to theother jaw portion extending into the space between said curved jawport-ions;v V

2. A clasp assembly for connecting an article to a remotefl objectcomprising coacting, pivotally connected members having opposed,-concavely' arcuate jaw faces, one of said members having opposed,relatively spaced sideportions, thev other member being movable in aplaneibetween and parallel to, the side portions of the first member, aspring acting on said members to bring the other jaw portion extendinginto-the space environed by said concave jaw facesQand means on one ofsaid members for detachablyconnecting the assembly to an applicatorpole. V 7

3. A clasp device of the charrbterdescfibd, comprising a first jawmember having spaced parallel side portions, a transverse webinterconnecting said side portions at one end of said jaw member, apivot pin extending transversely between said side portions at anopposite end of said jaw member, saidnwebchaving a mounting slotentering from a loweriedge. thereof, adapted to coact with an applicatortool, a secondjawmc'm ber pivoted to said pivot pin, said jaw membershaving opposed, arcuatelyconcave' jaw faces extending r in a, generallyupwardly direction from ther pivotpin, said- "second jaw member havingan annular portion extending;

ina direction downwardly from saidlpin,.a detent bar,

pivotally mounted on. said secondjaw, member, a keeper on the.first'said jaw member adapted to be releasablyj engaged by said detentbar to hold said jaw members} 'in open position, said detent barprotruding laterally into the spaceenvironed by the open jawwmembers,atension spring having end portions acting on said jaw members in adirection tending to close the same, ,said spring also, engaging saiddetent bar and acting to holdfthe same in latched relation with thefirst saidljaw member.

References Cited in the file ofthis patentf UNITED STATES PATENTS679,088 Methven July 23,1901 900,889 Schuster Oct. 13, 1908- 1,277,017Williams Aug.27-, 1918- 2,228,824 Hermann Jain. 14, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS1 420,393 Great Britain Nov..30,;,193:4.. 800,395

Stiles Feb. 3,- 1891 France M-ay,..4,,.,1936

